> The biggest lesson I take is that "social networks" are not about protocols but about how we use the existing infrastructure.
It's also not about scale and breadth. Focused social networks around niches can be a breath of fresh air compared to the social behemoths. I joined a couple of more targeted social networks recently and it seems like there's a far more positive community when people have a shared interest. Fable[1] has a social network for reading and that has a generally positive and cosy vibe. Bryan Johnson's Don't Die[2] app is focused on health and longevity and it has a supportive atmosphere. You'd think that something like Reddit with its many niche subreddits would be able to replicate this. But it seems like Reddit has its own tone that permeates everywhere.
It seems like social networks that stay small and focused can maintain a fun and productive environment that degrades over time in larger networks.
> there's a far more positive community when people have a shared interest
Even old fashioned web forums and email listservs are still thriving in some niches and work this way.
I think reddit fails here because it's too frictionless. Requiring a little bit of intentional action to join or subscribe keeps out a surprising amount of drive-by trolls.
HN is pretty big now and has its share of trolls and bots but because it doesn't use social media accounts it's not nearly as bad as Facebook or Reddit.
> It seems like social networks that stay small and focused can maintain a fun and productive environment that degrades over time in larger networks
I would love to find some good social networks for myself but discovering them is hard and I don't have the free time to dig like I used to to find the hidden gems
> The biggest lesson I take is that "social networks" are not about protocols but about how we use the existing infrastructure.
It's also not about scale and breadth. Focused social networks around niches can be a breath of fresh air compared to the social behemoths. I joined a couple of more targeted social networks recently and it seems like there's a far more positive community when people have a shared interest. Fable[1] has a social network for reading and that has a generally positive and cosy vibe. Bryan Johnson's Don't Die[2] app is focused on health and longevity and it has a supportive atmosphere. You'd think that something like Reddit with its many niche subreddits would be able to replicate this. But it seems like Reddit has its own tone that permeates everywhere.
It seems like social networks that stay small and focused can maintain a fun and productive environment that degrades over time in larger networks.
[1] https://fable.co/
[2] https://dontdieapp.com/
> there's a far more positive community when people have a shared interest
Even old fashioned web forums and email listservs are still thriving in some niches and work this way.
I think reddit fails here because it's too frictionless. Requiring a little bit of intentional action to join or subscribe keeps out a surprising amount of drive-by trolls.
HN is pretty big now and has its share of trolls and bots but because it doesn't use social media accounts it's not nearly as bad as Facebook or Reddit.
is it because I was young? I still believe phpbb forums were the best!
> It seems like social networks that stay small and focused can maintain a fun and productive environment that degrades over time in larger networks
I would love to find some good social networks for myself but discovering them is hard and I don't have the free time to dig like I used to to find the hidden gems
> with blogs and email, we already had a decentralized social network
Yes, coupled with a good WebFeeds solution and we are practically there !
Been saying this for years. The www is already a social network.
OK, I love that. I'm going to try it out right now.